


The Long Con

by orchis



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura's alive because f that shit, Epilogue What Epilogue, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Found Family, Keith is an awkward penguin, M/M, No Curtis sorry Curtis, Post-Season/Series 08 Finale, Shiro is young GDI, carnival date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 01:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17909036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orchis/pseuds/orchis
Summary: When a reluctant Shiro keeps being set-up on blind dates by his kind and meddlesome friends, Keith offers a solution - Surely, they would stop trying to pair him up with strangers if Shiro already had a boyfriend, right? And Keith, being Shiro’s best friend, is the perfect candidate to be this fake boyfriend. No big deal, just to get everyone off Shiro’s back, give him a respite. No big deal at all.A classic fake dating fic for shiethlentines! (Post-season 8, but Allura’s alive, and no Curtis. Background Allura/Lance and Acxa/Veronica.)





	The Long Con

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheInsaneFox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInsaneFox/gifts).



> Happy Sheithlentines, TheInsaneFox!!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Special thanks to galacticproportions for her encouragement, and to Gloss for her cheer-leading and awesome betaing. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my fault.

In Keith’s opinion, it’s all Lance’s fault. Everything was going okay - as okay as it could go soon after the end of an intergalactic war against an evil empire and an evil witch who wanted to destroy all realities. People were healing, things were being rebuilt, alliances were being forged. 

And then, out of the blue, when everybody was leaving a meeting, Lance blurted out, “Hey, Shiro, do you wanna go out on a date with my friend Callum?” 

Shiro was taken aback and embarrassed and, for some reason Keith couldn’t understand, said yes. 

Everything went downhill from there. 

Shiro didn’t hit it off with that Callum dude, so Matt Holt jumped in and set him up with a friend of his from the resistance. Then, it was Coran, out of all people, who thought Shiro would get along great with this rando technician friend of his. 

Keith thought they would give up eventually, as every single time Shiro got flustered and obviously uncomfortable. But they haven’t given up so far, no matter how much of a failure their setups have been. 

That’s how Keith ends up working late in the common room of the paladin’s quarters on the night Shiro’s out on his fourth date in two weeks. 

It’s not like he’s waiting for Shiro, not really. He’s just reading the reports his mom and Kolivan sent earlier today. They’ve been gone for a few weeks now, taking stock of the Blade and compiling information that will allow everyone to decide the future of the organisation. In truth, this is important work that requires his full attention as soon as possible, even if he’s getting tired and he wants nothing more than to join the space wolf in his nap. 

Half past eleven, the door slides open with a swish and Shiro walks in. Keith looks up and can’t help to smile, it’s his natural reaction whenever Shiro shows up. He didn’t see him before he left for his date, and is struck by how Shiro looks. 

He’s forgotten how handsome Shiro looks in civilian clothes. His outfit’s nothing special - none of the paladins are exactly style icons, despite what Lance says about himself - just dark trousers and a white shirt, a navy blue blazer on top that does nothing to disguise Shiro’s massive bicep. 

“Hey, Keith,” Shiro says, smiling. He seems a bit tired, pulling at his shirt to undo the first button. He drops in the couch directly in front of Keith. The wolf wakes up and jumps off Keith’s lap, tail wagging, and disapparates, only to reappear in front of Shiro. “Hey, buddy, did you miss me?” Shiro says, chuckling and, bless him, he takes the wolf’s enthusiastic face-licking with gusto. 

“How was your date?” Keith asks. Better to pull the band-aid fast. Shiro doesn’t exactly look enthusiastic, but Keith knows that he usually has a very good poker face. If he’s excited about this guy, Keith wants to know. 

Shiro sighs and shrugs. He’s looks up from petting Kosmo’s head. “It was fine. He was a decent guy - smart, nice. Good conversation. Handsome.” 

Keith frowns. “You don’t sound very thrilled.”

Shiro rubs his hand over his face. “I don’t want to be… ungrateful, I guess,” he says. “Everyone’s trying to hard to match me up with their friends and worried about me. I think the least I can do is give these guys a chance.”

“But?” 

Shiro looks down at the floor. He does look tired and perhaps a little sad. Keith feels the need to give him a hug. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back on the sofa. 

“I don’t know. Ethan was really nice, like I said. I just wasn’t feeling it.” 

Keith nods. “You don’t have to keep going on these dates just because everyone’s pushing,” he says. 

Shiro looks surprised for a moment. “I… I think it’s just polite to try.”

“No offence, Shiro, but your love life is none of their business. Just because they’re all paired up and happy doesn’t mean everyone in the world has to date or sleep with someone,” Keith says, irritated. 

Shiro studies his face for a moment. “I suppose that’s true. I think they’re just happy and want everyone else to be happy. They just…” he trails off. 

“They should know not everyone is happy the same way,” Keith says. He uncrosses his arms, tries to let his irritation fade a little. He’s jealous, he knows that. But it also bothers him how they all seem to think that what Shiro needs is to get laid on a daily basis to be happy, whatever the hell that means. 

Shiro studies his face for a moment and lets out a big breath. There’s something in his expression that Keith can’t quite read, but doesn’t know how to ask about. 

 

“That’s a good point,” Shiro says, finally. He gives the wolf a quick hug and a pat on the backside and ushers him towards Keith, but he refuses to move and settles on the couch with Shiro instead. “I still feel like I can at least try… it’s the considerate thing to do. Perhaps I will find someone if I keep going on blind dates.”

“You don’t look like you wanna find someone, though,” Keith says, frowning. 

Shiro’s face tightens, and he looks away, hand on the back of his neck. “Not really, not right now.” 

Keith looks down. Time has gone by really fast, but Shiro hasn’t had a chance to process much of what’s happened. None of them have. He hasn’t exactly had a blast in the past few years, from getting abducted by aliens and being forced to fight for his life to coming home to Earth to find his ex dead. 

He doesn’t deserve to go through uncomfortable dates just to make their friends happy. Shiro should just do whatever he wants. 

“Do you think they’d leave you alone if you  _ had _ a boyfriend?” Keith asks. Alarm bells start ringing in the back of his head, but he can’t help it. The idea sparked in his mind and now it’s taking root and growing. 

Shiro looks at him, brow furrowed in confusion. “I guess so? That’s their whole objective. Hooking me up with someone.”

Keith takes a deep breath, nostrils widening. “Then I’ll be your boyfriend,” he says. 

Shiro straightens up and looks at him, eyes widened. “Keith…” he mutters. “What?” 

“Yeah. Just so everyone gets off your back,” Keith says, shrugging. “I mean, it’d be fake. Obviously,” he adds, quickly, lest Shiro misunderstands his intentions. 

Shiro frowns and looks at his lap, where the space wolf’s rested his head. “Obviously,” he repeats. “I don’t know, Keith. I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation.”

“You wouldn’t!” Keith says. “I mean, I’m sure it’ll be fine. We’ll just tell them we’re together now, and I don’t know, hold hands in public? Or kiss, we could kiss, too. It’s no big deal,” Keith says. 

_ What is he doing?  _

Helping Shiro. He’s helping Shiro, yes, even if it’s at the expense of his own feelings. He can do this. 

Shiro’s phone chimes. He takes it out of his blazer’s pocket, has a look at the screen and groans. “Veronica wants to know how it went with Ethan....” 

Keith twists his mouth. “They’re all very persistent.”

Shiro sighs. “Yeah. I guess…” he takes a moment, eyes flying from his phone to Keith’s face. “If you’re okay with it…”

“Of course, Shiro!” Keith says, enthusiastically. Almost too enthusiastically. He can’t help it, can’t help the way his heart jumps at the thought of even pretending to be Shiro’s boyfriend. 

He’s pathetic, he knows that. But he can get through this, for Shiro’s sake. 

*

“Just to recap,” Shiro says in the elevator. “You’re okay with hand-holding, hugs and kissing in public.”

“Yes,” Keith says, trying not to flush, and looking straight ahead. It doesn’t help, he can see his and Shiro’s reflection on the elevator doors. Shiro seems a little tense, but Keith’s own posture is stiff and crummy. He tries to relax his shoulders and then looks at Shiro. “It’s okay. Just act the same way you would with any boyfriend.”

“I just don’t wanna make you uncomfortable,” Shiro says, and the elevator stops and the doors open. 

“It’s fine,” Keith says, smiling at him reassuringly. “I don’t think you will.” 

“But if I do--” Shiro begins, standing in the threshold to the elevator. 

“Yes,” Keith says, “I’ll let you know. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine,” he adds. 

Shiro sighs and returns his smile. “Alright,” he says. 

Keith offers Shiro his hand, and he takes it with a small nod. Keith tries to calm down the beating of his heart. They’re going into the canteen to grab breakfast. It’s something they’ve done together a bunch of times, at least once or twice a week. 

Keith tries to remind himself this isn’t different. Just because everyone else will think things have changed between him and Shiro it doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s a charade. It’ll be fine. Keith never cared what people thought about him anyway. 

The canteen is busy, but there’s a small table free towards the center. Perfect, if you want people to see you. Keith hopes no one else sits there before they get their breakfast.

They greet acquaintances the same way they would otherwise, with little nods and waves, and good mornings. They make their way to the line and finally let go of each other’s hands to grab their trays. Keith tries not to think about how cold he suddenly feels. 

“What are you going to have?” Shiro asks. He’s inspecting the menu from behind Keith. 

Before he can reply, he hears a voice behind them. “Good morning, captain!” 

It’s Veronica. Keith likes her. She’s generally smart and witty, more than capable at her job. She seems to like Shiro a lot, and Acxa seems to like her a lot, too. She’s also the one who set up Shiro with his date last night. 

She takes a look at them and narrows her eyes. “I guess you won’t be seeing Ethan again, then?” she asks, a little smile curving up her lips. 

Shiro shakes his head. “He was very nice but…” 

Keith clears his throat. His arms are crossed in front of his chest and he’s trying very hard not to glower at Veronica. 

Her smile only grows bigger. “I guess he wasn’t the right one for you, eh?” she says, and pats Keith on the shoulder. “Congrats, you two,” she says. Then, to Keith. “Be nice to the captain or you’ll have the whole bridge out to get you.”

Keith blinks, unsure of how to respond. He doesn’t think anyone in the bridge is skilled enough at body combat to defeat him in a one-to-one fight, but he can also appreciate her feeling protective of Shiro. 

“I-I…” he stammers. “I wouldn’t hurt--what?” he blurts out, confused. 

Veronica bursts out laughing at the same time that Shiro mutters Keith’s name in that soft, endearing way that makes Keith want to grab him and never let go. “Enjoy your breakfast,” she adds, as she skips them in the line and goes to grab a cup of fruit and oatmeal. 

* 

The news spread like the smell of yalmurs all over the garrison. By lunchtime, Shiro’s been congratulated by five different people, including Sam and Colleen Holt. 

“I’m so glad one of you finally made a move!” Colleen says, as Shiro peers over her shoulder at the plants she’s bent over. This was supposed to be meeting to catch up on what she’s been working lately, but she spent thirty seconds listing the species she’s managed to reproduce and then started talking about his love life. 

“Um, thanks?” Shiro says, feeling a pang in his chest. What does that mean? Make a move? He feels a rush of embarrassment hit his face. Has he been this obvious, then, about his feelings for Keith? 

“No need to get all shy about it, dear,” says Colleen, patting him on the back. “Here, this is for you. Give it to your boyfriend,” she adds, winking. She passes him a small pot with a little flower in it. 

“What is it?” Shiro asks, frowning. The flower is simple - looks like a small daisy, one short stem with a few leaves and the flower on top. The colour, though, is gorgeous, a shade of violet or blue that almost takes his breath away. 

“They call it  _ sekptur  _ but I still haven’t figured out the species’ name,” she says. “I don’t know if we should continue to use Latin, to be honest, or just come up with a new classification method entirely? I mean, I think the system works, but isn’t it too Earth-centric to keep naming species in Latin?” she frowns, hand in her chin, and for a moment, she looks so much like Pidge that Shiro can’t help but grin. 

“Thanks for the flower, though,” he says. 

She brightens up. “Right. Needs little water. Flowers in extreme climates, especially desertic ones, maybe water it once a week. And tell Keith to keep it by the window and in direct sunlight.”

Shiro nods and makes a small note about it in his tablet before he leaves for his next meeting. 

* 

Keith’s coming back into the garrison from his night run with the wolf when he spots Allura, sitting in the foyer and reading a book. 

“Keith!” she says, dropping the book as soon as he steps inside, and standing up. 

“Hello, princess,” he says. The wolf runs to her, wagging his tail and nearly tackling her in his enthusiasm. 

“Oh, hello, Kosmo,” she says, patting his head awkwardly and trying to step back. She still gets a couple of licks to her face before the wolf is satisfied with the greeting and sits next to her. 

“How are you?” Keith asks. It’s clear she was waiting for him, but it’s not like her to seek him out. 

“I’m doing well, thank you! I was just…” she looks hesitant, and then smiles. “I just wanted to tell you I’m very happy for you, Keith,” she says. 

Unexpectedly, she crosses the space between them and gives him a hug. Keith freezes for a second, confused and out of his depth, before telling himself to relax and hug her back. 

“Um, thanks?” he says. 

She pulls away, and there are tears in her eyes, but she’s smiling. “It’s just so… you and Shiro! I can’t think of a better suited match!” 

Keith opens his mouth. “Thanks,” he says. 

Her words are painful on so many levels. He did not expect people to get this noisy (and nosy) about his new and fake relationship with Shiro, but apparently their love life is everyone’s business. 

“I was wondering… since you two are together, I’ve heard that a thing called double dating is common in Earth?” she says, looking at him with a little shyness. It’s not like her to be anything but assertive, and her discomfort makes Keith feel slightly on edge. 

“Oh? Yeah, some people do that, I suppose…” he says. 

“Would you like to go out with me and Lance, then?” she says. 

Keith doesn’t blurt out that no, he wouldn’t; he really, really wouldn’t. Lance and he may have a better relationship than they used to, which wasn’t a very high bar to begin with, but Keith still doesn’t feel like he can spend that much time around Lance when he’s in romancing mode. However, something in Allura’s face makes him stop his refusal. 

“I mean… you don’t have to, of course. But I’d really appreciate it! It’s not that… um, you see, we’ve been sort of together, me and Lance, I suppose. But we haven’t been able to do much dating, and it’s a bit…” she trails off. “I was of course very well versed in Althean courting rituals, and was part of some successful ones myself, but that was over ten thousand years ago! And Earth is so different. I’ve spent all this time around you and the rest of the paladins, but I still feel like I’m not entirely sure I know how things work, or whether I’m doing something wrong, or…” she trailed off. 

Keith raised his eyebrows. “Princess?” he says, confused. “Would Shiro and I being there make you feel more at ease?” 

“Yes!” she says, smiling. “It’d be good to have a model, so to speak!” she says, clasping her hands together. “If I see another couple in action during a date, I’ll have some guidance!” 

Keith blushes despite himself. He’s not sure he’s comfortable with being observed as if he were a lab rat. “I… shouldn’t this be something to talk to Lance about? Your worries?” 

She sighs. “I have! He says it’s fine and that I’m fine, but I still want to… I still wanna do better. For him, you know?” she asks, looking at Keith directly in the eyes. 

Keith knows, somehow. 

“Sure, okay.”

Allura’s enthusiastic response is almost contagious. 

* 

“Sorry I accepted without asking you first,” Keith says, looking at him a little apprehensively. 

They’re in Shiro’s quarters, debriefing about their first day as a (fake) couple. They’re sitting on the sofa, almost squished together in a corner, with Kosmo stretched over their laps and the rest of the cushions. Shiro’s got his left hand buried in his fur, relaxing in tune with the space wolf’s breathing. 

“That’s alright, Keith,” he says, smiling. “I’m sure it’ll be fun.” 

Keith sighs. “I hope so…”

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to, I’m sure we can come up with an excuse,” says Shiro, frowning a little. He wonders if Keith’s starting to get cold feet about this whole fake dating thing. He wouldn’t blame him. Keith’s never been one to enjoy being the centre of attention, and a lot of people have been on them since breakfast in a way that Shiro himself didn’t expect. 

He suddenly has a vivid memory of sitting with Adam in a similar fashion, complaining about people demanding lots of his time. Adam had rolled his eyes and said, “Poor Takashi, it’s so hard to be so popular and liked by everyone!” 

He’d meant it as a joke, and it was enough to dissipate Shiro’s bad mood at the time. He gets a pang in the chest, the pain of regret and guilt and all the feelings that Adam’s memory brings with it. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Keith says, clearly sensing something’s wrong with Shiro. “It’s fine, we can go.”

“No, I…” Shiro says. He pulls back slightly, rubs his face. “Sorry, I just thought of Adam, out of the blue.”

Keith lowers his eyes, scratches Kosmo between his ears. 

Shiro sighs. He senses there’s something here he’s not quite getting, and it bothers him. He feels that, in the past, there didn’t use to be misunderstandings between him and Keith. Everything was easier before he decided to develop a massive crush on his best friend and keep it hidden forever. 

“I wanna go,” Shiro says. “Not if you don’t want to, though. And I wouldn’t be upset if that’s the case. I just want you to be happy and comfortable,” he says. 

Keith looks up at him and smiles, softly. “It’s fine. It’s not like I’m dying to go, but I can do it, for Princess Allura’s sake.”

Shiro returns the smile. “Always so self-sacrificing,” he says, winking. “I’ll make sure you have a great time, you’ll see.”

Keith chuckles. “It’s not hard to have a good time when I’m with you!” he says. 

They look at each other for a moment, and Shiro feels something warm buzzing inside his chest. Keith’s expression softens, and he opens his mouth slightly, as if to speak. Instead, he starts to lean forward very slowly. Shiro doesn’t have time to react or think of anything, as Kosmo wakes up with a start and falls off the couch, startling them. 

The moment is broken, the air feels different. Shiro lets it go. 

* 

After a couple of days, things settle a bit. Keith and Shiro aren’t getting random congratulations from friends and colleagues, and Keith starts to feel less eyes on the back of his head as they walk together down a hallway. 

There hasn’t been any need to kiss in public or go for significant PDA. Keith isn’t sure if he’s disappointed or if it’s better. It’s already hard enough to pretend that the thing he wants the most isn’t actually happening, even though everyone else around him and his own behaviour seems to signal it is happening. If he had to factor lots of physical contact on top of it, his brain might actually short-circuit. 

The weird thing is that everyone’s buying it. It’s not like they’re doing a lot of different things. They still hang out as much as they used to, and they touch each other in the same casual, friendly manner. Except now Shiro’s hand on his shoulder lingers, and Keith knows he can lean towards him a little bit, and even if, at its core, it’s the same touch, it seems to have a whole new meaning. 

It’s starting to mess with him. He wakes up every day and looks at the cute flower Shiro gave him. Alright, Coleen gave it to Shiro for him to give to Keith. It’s not like Shiro went out of his way to give him flowers, but it still makes him so happy to look at the beautiful petals in the pale sunrise light, and check the soil to see if it needs watering, and he can’t help but think of Shiro all the time. 

“You’re distracted,” Acxa says, and Keith must’ve been so, because she easily knocks him onto his back and traps him on the floor with a staff. 

Keith grunts and glowers. “Sorry,” he says. 

She blinks. “It’s alright. It’s expected in the early stages of courtship.” 

She removes the staff as Keith groans and ignores the hand she’s extending to help him stand up. Instead, he wipes the sweat off his forehead with his hand and keeps his forearm covering his eyes. “Not you too,” he says. 

She chuckles and sits down next to him. “Not me too, what?” 

“You know what. Everyone’s so damn chatty about Shiro and me. It’s… exhausting,” he says. 

He tells himself it would be exhausting for anyone even without the lying factor hanging over Keith’s conscience like a guillotine. 

“I see people in Earth tend to be more involved in other’s businesses than the Galra do.”

Keith stretches out his arm and examines his hand against the bright lights of the gym. “Do you think it’s a Galra trait? That’s in my DNA to be this… annoyed at others?”

“Maybe,” Acxa says. “Or maybe it’s just you. Zethrid and Ezor are nosy and annoying.” 

Keith snorts. “We didn’t get in your case like this when you got together with Veronica, did we?” he asks her, looking at her at last. 

Acxa shakes her head. “You didn’t. They did,” she sighs. “But just them. Not the entire garrison.”

Keith rubs his face. “Yeah.”

“You don’t seem very happy,” she says, frowning. “It’s none of my business, but don’t let others ruin your joy. It’s something I’m trying to work on myself.”

Keith sits up and studies her face for a moment. She’s still quite a mystery to him, but he’s glad she decided to stick around for a bit while his mum and Kolivan went to gather the rest of the Blade. 

Now that the Galra Empire no longer exists, everything feels like it’s pulsing and collapsing at the same time, reforming. The Blade doesn’t have an empire to resist anymore; they’re going to have to change. He himself doesn’t know if he’d go back to join them or stay as a paladin of Voltron, if Voltron will remain as it has been for the past few years, if he could juggle both responsibilities. 

She frowns. “Where is your head?” she asks, and stands up. “Enough talking, let’s train some more.”

Keith nods, and jumps to his feet. It’d be good for him to stop thinking for a second and just focus on the movement of his limbs. If he can manage to. 

Acxa scores a lot of points that afternoon. 

* 

“Oh, man, I’m so excited,” Hunk says, as the rest of the paladins enter the lab. He and Pidge have been working on some kind of drone prototype that’s supposed to help scan planets for resources, and they finally called the rest of the paladins and officials to show them. “You’re gonna love this!” 

“It sounds pretty good,” says Iverson, standing close to their table. “Show us?”

“Great!” says Pidge. “Everyone has a good view? Cool. And you two lovebirds better take your eyes off each other long enough to pay attention to this!”

“Hey!” Lance says, frowning. “We  _ are  _ paying attention.”

“Not you,” Pidge says, rolling her eyes. “I meant Shiro and Keith! I know Allura is a professional and doesn’t get distracted.” 

Keith blushes and utters, “What,” as Romelle and Coran giggle behind them. 

“Eyes up here, Keith!” Hunk says, grinning. “You, too, Shiro!” 

Keith and Shiro exchange a quick look and turn their attention to the platform. Shiro blushes, and tries very hard to keep his embarrassment under control. 

He was looking at Keith, for sure. He’s trying, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep his true feelings under control in the midst of this charade.

As if sensing his discomfort, Keith inches closer and takes his hand. He gives Shiro a reassuring squeeze and holds on. 

Shiro tries to calm down his heart, just so he can hear whatever Pidge is actually saying about the drone instead of the pounding of his blood in his ears.

*

“Why don’t we take your hoverbikes?” Lance asks, grinning. 

They’re standing in the parking lot, trying to decide the best way to get to the carnival. 

“Why not a car?” Keith asks, frowning. 

“Hoverbikes are more fun!” Lance says. “Allura hasn’t actually ever taken a ride in one of those, right, sweetheart?” 

Allura smiles a little shyly. “Yeah, I was wondering if we could try.”

Shiro shrugs. “I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, but I’m taking my bike,” Keith says. “No offense, Lance, but I don’t trust you to drive it properly.”

“What!” Lance says, annoyed. “You’re the one who jumps off cliffs on it!” 

Shiro grins. “I taught him that trick,” he says. 

“Jumping off cliffs? That sounds dangerous but… fun,” she says, with a twinkle in her eye. 

That’s how Keith ends up driving with Allura behind him, and Shiro with Lance. They race to the carnival. Allura eggs Keith on the whole time, laughing and yelling enthusiastically, which contrasts with Lance’s terrified screams that Keith can hear behind them. 

Keith and Allura win by a nose. 

“That was amazing!” Allura says, jumping off the bike. “You have to teach me to do that!”

Shiro grins. “Anytime!” 

Lance peels himself off Shiro’s back and steps off the bike carefully. “Can we just… go into the carnival?” he says, looking shaken. 

Allura stands next to him and takes his hand. “C’mon. You said I could win a blue lion for you, show me where the stand is?” 

They start walking, and Keith and Shiro stand back a little, looking at one another. 

“I won’t let you win next time,” Shiro says, chin up in an arrogant gesture.

Keith smirks. “Oh, is that what you did? Losing on purpose?”

“Lance held me back. He was so scared I couldn’t go all out,” Shiro says, winking. 

“Uh-huh,” Keith says. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, old timer.”

Shiro opens his mouth to reply when Lance’s voice cuts through them. “Hey, you two, are you coming?”

Keith takes Shiro’s hand and rushes forward. 

*

Keith seems to be having a good time, and that’s enough to make Shiro feel like he’s walking over clouds. 

They hit the game stalls first, with Allura excited to get Lance a prize. She doesn’t succeed until their third stall, where she proves to be very good at catching fake fish in a pond. Shiro’s better with marbles than he remembered, and manages to win a small hippo plushie for Keith. 

“Aw, that’s really cute,” Lance says, arms full of his giant blue lion. 

Keith looks a it for a moment, face serious. Shiro blushes, worrying that Keith thinks this is childish and silly. But then, he looks up at Shiro, face bright and a sweet smile on his face. “Thanks, Shiro. I love it.”

Shiro grins. “You’re welcome,” he says, and leans forward. He meant to give Keith a quick peck on the lips, but the way Keith’s eyes widened for a second makes him chicken out, and he goes for his cheek instead. 

Afterwards, Allura wants to try the carnival rides. All of them. They try the bumper cars first, where they get eliminated pretty fast by some aggressive teenagers. That doesn’t stop Allura from laughing delightedly, and her joy is contagious. 

They ride the Loop-o-ship next, and then the rainbow. Shiro enjoys them, even more so that he gets to hold Keith’s hand as they scream and go up and down the air. Soon enough, Shiro forgets to steal looks at Allura and Lance, to check that she’s having fun. He’s too engrossed in his own experience. 

Shiro’s delighted. He hasn’t ridden these games since he was a kid, and there’s something special about being here with Keith, in their first official date, fake or not. It’s so great to just relax and enjoy this controlled danger, or the simulation of danger. Piloting ships is great, but there’s something special about just sitting back and letting someone else take control, and let your body go through the jumps of adrenaline and excitement with minimum chances of death. 

Shiro enjoys the Wave Swinger, holding onto the chains of his swing and seeing his legs fly out as they go round and round. But it’s not as good as the other games, since he’s in his individual chair, and can’t hold Keith’s hand or look at his smiling face. 

“It’s fascinating!” Allura says, as they’re waiting in line to go on the rollercoaster. They left it for the end, and they’re going to get some food next. “We didn’t… don’t, I suppose? Have this kind of excitement in Altea,” she says. “I mean, sure, we had something similar to a fair, and games and things, but not these mechanical rides! It’s so much fun.” 

She looks at Lance and leans towards him, hand on his arm. “Earth is truly a marvellous place!”

Lance smiles at her, tender, and says something that Shiro doesn’t pick up. He turns to Keith, who’s eyeing the line in front of them with impatience. 

“Are you having fun?” he asks Keith, quietly, bumping their shoulders together. 

Keith turns to him and smiles. “Yeah,” he says. “It’s alright, I guess.”

Shiro snorts. “I guess I’ll have to try harder, then!” 

Keith lowers his eyes, a little shy, for a moment or two. When he looks up at Shiro again, he seems to be about to say something, but at that moment, the people standing in line behind them interrupt. 

“Hey, the line is moving!” 

Shiro apologises quickly and walks forward behind Allura and Lance. Keith seems to let go of whatever he wanted to say, and Shiro doesn’t get a chance to ask before they’re in the cart and going up the first slope. 

Afterwards, they hit the food trucks. Shiro gets hot dogs and fries for himself and Keith, and Allura insists on trying authentic food truck burgers, as she calls them. The four of them sit together on a picnic table, Shiro and Keith next to each other and facing Allura and Lance. They sip their sodas and eat their food, Allura and Lance flirting and bickering. Shiro watches Keith watching them and feels content and relaxed. 

Soon enough, Keith catches his eye. It’s not like they can talk openly and honestly, not with the pretense of their relationship to maintain in front of their friends, but they still find things to talk about that are fun and harmless. 

Keith tells him about the time when he was very little and his dad took him to a carnival, similar to this one. “I was so mad they wouldn’t let me on the roller coaster,” Keith says, chuckling. “But dad tried to make it up to me. In the end, my favourite was the ferris wheel.” 

“Is that the big wheel over there?” Allura asks, pointing at the wheel that can bee seen, full of colourful lights and slowly moving, towering over all the other rides. 

“Yes,” Keith says. “It’s slow and not very exciting, I guess, but I thought it was amazing to be so close to the stars.”

Shiro’s heart skips a beat. He watches Keith and feels something tight oppressing his chest. Suddenly, he feels terribly guilty, not so much to be lying to his friends, but to Keith. He wants to come clean. 

“Why don’t we try that one after we finish the meal?” he says, instead. 

* 

Keith has to admit he’s a little nervous, but it’s a warm kind of buzz inside him, vibrating through his limbs. They’re waiting in line to go in the ferris wheel. 

“I love you guys,” Lance says. “But I’d rather go on this one alone with my girlfriend, if you don’t mind,” he says, his arm around Allura’s arm and his face contorted in what he probably thinks is a gallant expression. He looks a bit constipated, but Allura’s looking at him with a sweet little smile. 

“Oh, we don’t, go ahead,” Shiro says, giving Lance’s shoulder a little push as  they reach the front of the line. A mother and three kids step outside of the cart and Lance and Allura are led inside by the attendant. 

Keith bounces on his heels. 

“This has been really nice,” he says, looking up at Shiro. 

It’s funny, he’s a lot taller now than he used to be, even a couple of years back, but Shiro’s still taller than him. He likes it like this, though, likes being closer to him. 

Shiro beams. “I’m really glad you’re enjoying yourself, Keith,” he says. 

“Are you having fun, though?” Keith asks. 

Shiro snorts. “You don’t have to ask me that, you know? Of course I am!”

They go into their own cart and sit side by side, facing the outward window. The ferris wheel was set up on top of a little hill, which makes it stand out even more. He and Shiro sit close together, and Keith doesn’t hesitate to place his hand on top of Shiro’s, even though there’s no one here to see them. 

Shiro laces their fingers together and looks at them for a moment. The wheel starts to move upwards, slowly. The ride’s supposed to last twenty minutes, and Keith wants to enjoy and stretch them as long as he can. 

“Keith,” Shiro says, softly. “I… I’m very grateful for what you’ve done this week,” he says. “But I think perhaps we should stop.”

Keith feels like a bucket of icy water was just dropped on him. “What?” he asks, frowning. 

Shiro’s not looking at him, but ahead, at the lights of the carnival getting further and further away from them. 

“I have to be honest with you, Keith,” Shiro goes on. “I’ve liked this. A lot. And I don’t wanna take advantage of you, of our friendship.”

Keith frowns. “Take advantage how?” he asks. Shiro tries to take his hand away, but Keith squeezes. “Shiro?”

Shiro finally looks at him, eyes sad and twinkling in the lights. “I’m… I’m sorry, Keith. I didn’t wanna tell you. I thought I could just get over it with time, because I didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable or put you in a difficult position.” 

“Shiro, what the hell are you talking about?” Keith asks. He’s shifted now, sitting to face Shiro directly. 

“I’ve…” Shiro squeezes his eyes shut for a second, as if bracing himself for a crash. “I… I have feelings for you, Keith. I’ve had, for some time. I didn’t wanna act on them. Things were complicated, with me being in a new body and the war going on, and I thought it was just a harmless crush, that I could just let it pass. But it hasn’t passed. It’s grown.” 

Keith’s eyes widen. He holds his breath, not sure he’s exactly hearing what he thinks he’s hearing. 

“What?” he says. “A crush? Feelings?”

Shiro blushes, visible even in the dim cabin, and looks away. “I’m sorry, Keith. I know you don’t feel like that and that you’re not into that kind of stuff. That’s why I thought I could just let it pass and not let it affect our friendship. But then everyone wanted to set me up, and you offered to help me, and I… I just. I wanted to pretend. Just for a little while. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Keith swallows. “Shiro,” he says. “Shiro, look at me, please?” 

Reluctantly, Shiro turns his head towards him. Keith doesn’t know what to say, he’s always been better with actions. So he leans forward, cupping Shiro’s jaw with his free hand, and kisses him. 

It’s short, and a bit awkward, but Shiro responds before pulling away slightly. “Keith,” he says. “What’s going on?”

Keith sighs. “Shiro, don’t you know?” he asks. “I’ve had feelings for you. For a long, long time. You don’t have to get over whatever crush you got on me. I don’t want you to. I want to… I want to be with you. For real, this time,” he says. 

Shiro’s eyes widen, and he smiles. “Keith,” he says. He moves forward, and soon his arms are around Keith, pulling him closer. They kiss for the rest of the ride, as the ferris wheel eases gently back towards the ground. 

Keith’s light-headed and warm all over, his heart beating so fast his chest hurts. 

“Why don’t we get out of here?” he asks, feeling bold, just as the cabin comes to a stop.  

Shiro grins. “Yeah?”

Keith nods. “Let’s.”

Allura and Lance are waiting for them, holding hands and smiling. 

“We’re leaving,” Keith says. 

Allura and Lance look at them, confused. “What? Oh, I was hoping we could still--” she begins. 

“You can stay,” Keith says, fishing out his bike’s keys from his pocket. He hands them to Allura. “See you back at the garrison.”

They say their goodbyes quickly, and Shiro lets Keith drag him downhill by the hand, smiling. 

*

They go into Keith’s quarters, as they’re closer to the main door than Shiro’s. Kosmo is napping on the couch of the small living room and studio that precedes Keith’s actual room, but Keith shakes his head at him when he wakes up. “Sorry, buddy,” he says. “Humans only.”

They give him some scritches and belly rubs to make up for it, and Keith serves him a generous dinner before they rush into Keith’s room. 

Shiro’s so excited he can’t find it in himself to be nervous. He kisses Keith with abandon, and lets Keith walk him backwards until the mattress hits the back of his knees. Shiro drops back, bringing Keith on top of him, letting out a small, “Ow,” when their bones and sharp angles hit one another. 

Keith grins, though, undeterred. “Hi,” he says. 

Shiro cups his face gently with his left hand, delighting in how Keith leans onto his touch. 

“Hi, Keith,” Shiro says. 

Keith moves his face and presses a kiss to Shiro’s palm. 

“Can I suck you off?” he asks, after a moment. 

A pleasant shiver runs down Shiro’s spine. “Yeah,” he says, smiling. “If you want to.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “I do. I’ve been wanting to for ages, trust me,” he says. 

They take their time undressing, pulling at clothes between kisses and touching all bits of revealed skin with feverish hands. 

At last, Keith pulls down Shiro’s pants and underwear, leaving them both naked. He slides down until he’s kneeling between Shiro’s legs. His lips are pressed together tight, and there’s a small wrinkle of concentration between his eyebrows. 

“Hey,” Shiro says, smiling. “Are you alright?”

“I’m having a moment,” Keith says, and drops his head, embarrassed. 

“What kind of moment?” 

“I… still don’t quite believe this is really happening.”

“Yeah,” Shiro says, feeling his chest tightening. “I think I know what you mean.”

Keith looks up to flash him a little smile, and kisses Shiro’s stomach. Shiro gasps, his nerve ends firing up at the contact. Keith drops more kisses on him, around his navel, down his hip bone, on his inner thigh. He pushes Shiro’s legs open with gentle hands and gets a hold of his dick, at last. 

Shiro tries to stay aware, tries to feel and record in his memory every little touch and sensation, wants to revisit this moment over and over. But everything is too much to do anything but feel. His left hand is on Keith’s shoulder, and his prosthetic one slides down Keith’s neck, chest and stomach. It circles around Keith’s dick the moment Keith kisses the tip of Shiro’s, and the tender press of his lips turns into a gasp. 

“Shiro,” he mutters, as Shiro starts to move, jacking him off slowly. This hand’s too big, feels a little clumsy, but Shiro’s practiced on himself enough times to know how to treat Keith right. “Shiro…” 

Keith rocks his hips and chases Shiro’s movements with abandon, head thrown down and eyes closed.

“Fuck,” Shiro says. “You’re so hot, look at you…”

Keith blinks his eyes open. They’ve changed, they’re yellow - Galra eyes. Shiro bites his lip, his cock getting impossibly hard at the sight. Keith smirks and gives Shiro’s dick his full attention. He kisses and licks at it, more enthusiasm than method, all the while fucking himself in Shiro’s hand. 

Shiro tries hard to keep still and not lose himself too much, but Keith pulls away, one hand circling the base of Shiro’s dick, and mutters, “C’mon. Let go, get rough. I can take it.”

Shiro’s eyes widen. “Keith,” he mutters. 

Keith grins. “What?” he asks, in defiance, and goes down on him again, his mouth warm and tight and taking more and more of Shiro in. 

Shiro knows he won’t last long, not with Keith jacking and sucking him off, fast and rough. Keith takes Shiro’s left hand from his shoulder and places it on his own head, and Shiro’s fingers get tangled with midnight black locks. 

He tries to keep his concentration, to keep stroking Keith and bringing him closer and closer. He must be doing something right, because soon enough, Keith moans around his dick, the vibrations dragging Shiro so much closer to the edge. Keith’s eyes flash gold in the dim light of the bedroom, and he spills into Shiro’s fingers, quivering. The way Keith looks, debauched and satisfied, would be enough to finish Shiro, but he tries hard to hold on. 

“Keith,” he mutters. “I’m gonna--”

“Good,” Keith says, giving the underside of his cock one big, sloppy kiss. “I wanna taste you.” 

He takes Shiro into his mouth again, sucking and bobbing his head fast, opening his throat to him. Shiro can’t take it any longer. He comes, hips jerking upwards and a loud moan escaping his mouth shamelessly. 

He’s still feeling the aftermath of his orgasm when he drags Keith upwards and maneuvers them so they’re on their sides, facing each other. They kiss for what feels like ages, arms around each other and legs tangled together. 

When the finally pull apart, Keith’s eyes are back to their usual violet colour. Shiro smiles. He wonders if Keith noticed the change, but decides to keep that little detail to himself, for now. Sleep is winning him over, and they’ll have time, later, to talk and explore and figure it out. 

They have all the time, all the time Keith wants. Shiro’s not letting him go, he’s not fucking this up. 

“I don’t think you can fuck this up, Shiro,” Keith says, softly. 

Oh. So he said that out loud. 

Shiro blushes. “Sorry, I---”

“We won’t. We’ll be okay,” Keith says, and he looks as determined as ever. 

Shiro sighs, and presses another kiss to Keith’s lips. “Yeah,” he says. “We will.”

He falls asleep with Keith in his arms, his skin soft and as warm as his heart.

* 

The next morning, Krolia is waiting outside Keith’s room with Kosmo. 

“Mom!” Keith gasps, surprised. He’s wearing Shiro’s t-shirt, too big for him and missing its right sleeve, and his underwear. “You’re back early! I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon!” 

She smiles her little, mysterious smile at him. “Yeah, we took a shortcut,” she says. “We got back a few hours ago. Kolivan’s sleeping it off, but I wanted to see you.”

“I…” Keith smiles, and goes to give her a hug, despite his embarrassment. She’s probably figured out what’s going on already, and maybe she’ll spare him the embarrassment of having to explain it to her that he’s got Shiro (not just any boy, but Shiro!) in his bed. “Welcome back,” he murmurs. 

“Thanks,” she says. “Kosmo wouldn’t let me into your room, though. I wondered if something was wrong, and then I saw the extra pair of shoes… Got company?” she asks, raising one eyebrow. 

Keith’s torn between praising the wolf for his discretion and loyalty and the horrible embarrassment of the situation. Before he can say anything, the door slides open, and Shiro steps outside. 

“Keith, I---Huh. Hi, hello, Krolia,” Shiro says, frozen in the threshold, looking at his mother-in-law (Keith thinks this, a little hysterical) with embarrassment. “Hi. I didn’t realise you were here, sorry!”

At least he’s wearing his underwear and isn’t butt naked. 

Krolia tilts her head to the side and looks at them. “So it’s true, then,” she says. “That you two finally got together.” 

“Er, yes,” says Shiro. “It took us some time, but…” he steals one look at Keith, who can’t help smiling at him, delighted. It is true. For real, this time. 

“Good,” she says, nodding. “I was getting quite close to taking action myself.” 

Keith blushes. “Mom!” he says. 

He can’t be mad at her. There’s something so great about being embarrassed by your mom in front of your boyfriend, the guy you’ve been in love with since you were fifteen. It’s so normal, and yet something Keith never thought he was going to get.  He’s beaming and blushing and it’s wonderful. 

“To be honest, I’m surprised that their plan worked,” Krolia says, eyes blinking slowly. As she observes them, her lips curl up into a small grin. 

“Whose plan?” Keith says, at the same time as Shiro asks, “What plan?”

“Before I left, your friends gathered and said they were, as they put it, tired of your pining. They said they were going to try to set Shiro up with other people until one of you decided to make a move. Something about the fear of losing the love of your life triggering a brave and romantic action, I think? I kind of tuned out Lance and Coran and Romelle as they explained it.” 

Shiro and Keith look at each other, shocked. 

“W-What?” said Shiro, his jaw open wide. It makes Keith remember physically, vividly the things Shiro did last night with that mouth, when they woke up for a second round, and it doesn’t help his embarrassment. 

“I told them it was a stupid plan and to just let you two sort it out. But it seems it worked, somehow,” she says, shrugging. “I guess I still don’t know enough about Earth courtship rituals, after all.” 

Shiro closes his mouth, opens it again, and finally sits down across from Krolia and Keith, looking shocked. “What you need to know is that rarely anyone else is this nosy,” he says. “But I suppose I can’t complain.” 

He turns to Keith and smiles. He stretches out his hand, and Keith leans forward and across the coffee table to take it. He feels warm all over, raw and renewed, like a limb after stretching or the tender skin that appears when a scab falls off. 

“Yeah,” Keith mutters. “I guess we can’t.”

 

\- the end - 


End file.
